Lock-corner.



f fra EDGAR R. HALL, 0F AUSTIN, TEXAS.

LOCK-CORNER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 31, 1910.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR R. HALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Austin, in the county of Travis, State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lock-Corners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it4 appert-ains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to the construction of paper boxes which are formed from a properly shaped blank of suitable material, such as corrugated paper and straw board, and resides more particularly' in the provision of an improved fastening for effecting the attachment of the adjacent edges of the side folds of the lid or body portion of the box when same are folded at an angle to the remaining portion of the blank in assembling.

The object of the invention is the provision of a fastening of the character named which will effectually secure the adjacent edges of the sides of the lid or body of a box together in such a manner as to produce a detachable connection therebetween of great strength and which will enable the employment of a pasted binding element betwelen the edges of the sides to be dispensed wit i.

`With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the details of construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and set forth in the claim.

ln describing the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters of reference denote like parts in the several views, and in which,

Figure 1 is the lid of a box in blank showing the improved fastening device secured to the edges of the side folds; Fig. 2, a fragmental view of one corner of the lid assembled showing the adjacent edges of two side folds secured together through the agency of the fastening device; Fig. 3, a detail perspective view of the male member of the fastening device; and, Fig. 4, a detail perspective view of the female member of the fastening device.

Referring to the drawings 1 indicates the top of the lid and 2, 3, l and 5 the sides thereof. As each corner of the lid is provided with a similar locking device it is only necessary to describe in detail the construction and arrangement of said locking device as applied to one corner thereof.

Secured to the edge of the side 3 is the female member of the locking device; said member being formed of a single piece of flexible metal which is bent upon itself to form the parallel portions 6 and 7 which are adapted to receive the side 8 whereby said side and member may be secured together in a manner to be hereinafter described. The portion 6 at its outer end is bent outwardly and then inwardly to form the arc of a circle, while the portion 7 is similarly bent and is in contact with the portion 6 throughout a considerable distance of the curved end thereof, whereby a tubular socket 8 having a contracted mouth is produced. The parallel portions 6 and 7 are each provided with clenching tongues 9 which are formed by slitting same inwardly from its ends a desired distance, it being obvious that the tongues formed between said slits may be bent inwardly into the side contained between the portions 6 and 7 and thereby secure said member to said side.

Secured to the edge of the side t which is adjacent the side 3 is the male member of the fastening device; which is also formed of a single piece. of flexible metal bent upon itself to form the parallel portions 10 and 11 which are adapted to receive the side 4l for securing said side and member together. The outer ends of said portions 10 and 11 of said male member are bent to form the tubular termination 12, said portions being contracted intermediate their ends as at 13 so as to conform to the contracted mouth of the socket 8 of the female member; it being understood that the tubular termination 12 of said male member is of such a diameter as to lit snugly in the interior of the socket- 8 of the female member. The portions 10 and 11 of the male member are likewise provided with clenching tongues 14 to effect the attachment of said member to the side t.

The operation of the fastening device will be obvious. It being only necessary to fold the sides of the blank at right angles to the top of the lid when the male and female members of the fastening device will be positioned for engagement with each other, such engagement being had by merely pushing the tubular terminal 12 of the male member into the tubular socket 8 of the female member, it being understood that during such operation the contracted mouth of the tubular socket 8 will be expanded to permit the passage of the tubular terminal l2 and contract of its own resiliency so that the edges of said mouth will be positioned in the contracted portion 13 of the male member whereby the adjacent edges of the sides 3 and 4: are securely locked together.

Vhile one particular form of carrying the invention into practice has been shown and described, it will be noted that various changes may be resorted to in the details of construction without in any manner departing from the scope of the invention.

That is claimed is The combination with the sides of a box, of a member constructed of a single piece of metal bent upon itself to form parallel spaced side plates between which one side of the box is secured, said piece having the portion thereof which connects said side plates doubled and curved to form outer and inner concentric walls and a groove in said inner wall having a contracted 'neck on one side; and a second member constructed from a single piece of metal bent upon itself to form parallel spaced side plates between which an adjacent side of the box is secured said piece being bent at its bight portion to form a cylindrical tongue having a contracted neck and adapted to be inserted in the groove of the first named member through the contracted mouth of said groove.

In testimony whereof, I aiiiX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

EDGAR R. HALL. lVitnesses Jon C. KERBEY, JNO. T. SMITH. 

